At the risk of talking waffle - cabbages and rhubarb!

[solway cropper]

we seem particularly prone to cabbage root fly on the lotty but a collar made from rhubarb leaf on each plant certainly does the trick. Whether synthetic collars would work
as effectively I couldn't say, the rhubarb leaves are there and they're free, what's not to like

The rhubarb leaf collars work because they impose a physical barrier around the plant. I make the collars from bits of cardboard (also free and bio-degradable). The rhubarb is completely irrelevant, any physical barrier to stop the female laying her eggs close to the plant will work.

[rary]

[QUOTE=Snadger;1294392]
Yes I've tried it against CLUBROOT and it worked. Oxalic acid is the active ingredient and its been proven in trials to work! (No idea where it was trialled, but it was an official body)
Snadger that gives me another way to tackle the flatworm I will boil up some leaves then spray it over the garden, thanks for the idea (and if it works a thousand thanks)

[Snadger]

[QUOTE=rary;1294468]

Yes I've tried it against CLUBROOT and it worked. Oxalic acid is the active ingredient and its been proven in trials to work! (No idea where it was trialled, but it was an official body)
Snadger that gives me another way to tackle the flatworm I will boil up some leaves then spray it over the garden, thanks for the idea (and if it works a thousand thanks)

Clubroot is a fungal problem where the oxalic acid in rhubarb acts as a fungiscide. Not sure it will act as an insecticide against flatworm? Even if it did, it certainly wouldn't be a selective insecticide so could harm other creepy crawlies that you want to keep.

[rary]

[QUOTE=Snadger;1294510]

, it certainly wouldn't be a selective insecticide so could harm other creepy crawlies that you want to keep.

Thanks for that reminder, although I have used a vinegar solution over parts of the garden without any noticeable effects other than no flatworms, so will try it out.

[ancee]

we seem particularly prone to cabbage root fly on the lotty but a collar made from rhubarb leaf on each plant certainly does the trick. Whether synthetic collars would work
as effectively I couldn't say, the rhubarb leaves are there and they're free, what's not to like

Now that's a good idea!- why don't I ever think logically like that? :/

[Snadger]

One guy on out allotment site swears by encasing the brassica stem in siver paper/cooking foil.The theory is the CRF lay there pupa next to the plant but they only succeed in banging there heads off silver foil when they try to burrow into the stem. Shame you can't get thin copper foil to encase the stems as this would keep the gastropods off as well!